Lifting attachment for riveting machines



I 1,556,693 D. KENNEDY LIFTING ATTACHMENT FOR RIVETING MACHINES Oct. 13,1925.

Filed June 20, 1924 INVENTOR WITNESS .Hanofliwazox,

l ATTORNEYS wmu 2a.

Patented Get. 13, 1925.-

DAVID KENNEDY, OF RICHMOND, VIRGINIA.

LIFTING ATTACHMENT FOR RIVETING MACHINES.

Application filed June 20, 1924. Serial No. 721,264.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DAVID KENNEDY, a

citizen of the United States, and resident of Richmond, in the county ofHenrico and State of Virginia, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Lifting Attachments for Riveting Machines, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention is a lifting attachment for portable riveting machines, andit consists in the combinations, constructions and arrangements hereindescribed and claimed.

An object of the invention is to effect an economy in the use of time,labor and power in lifting a portable power operated riveting or likemachine over obstructions to the passage of the machine in a horizontalplane, as for example along the side of a horizontal girder.

A further object of the invention is to provide an attachment of thecharacter described which affords facilities for utilizing the powerwhich is available for the operation of the machine to effect bodilymovement of the machine upward from the level at which the machine issupported when the machine is in normal or operative position.

A further object of the invention is to provide an attachment of thecharacter described which is adapted to' be applied to riveting machinesof ordinary construction without any extensive changes in theconstruction of the latter and without interfering with the operation ofthe riveting machine in an ordinary manner.

Other objects and advantages will be ap parent from the followingdescription, considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings,in which riveting machine equipped with an attachment embodying theinvention, and suspended in position for use in riveting a horizontalgirder, the attachment being in inactive position, and

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1, showing the attachment in activeposition and the riveting machine raised above position for use inriveting the horizontal girder. In the drawings, the numeral 1designates a horizontal girder which may be a member of the under frameof a freight car or like structure. A horizontal brace or cross member 2extends substantially at right angles to the member 1 and is in abuttingrelation Figure 1 is a perspective view showing aat one end to a lateralface of the latter. In an underframe for a freight car or likestructure, the horizontal girder 1 has a plurality of the cross members2 connected therewith, the respective cross members 2 being spacedapartand joined to the girder at intervals along the length of the latter.

' A riveting machine of ordinary construction adapted for use inaccomplishing the riveting together of the component parts of the girderl is'shown in the drawing. The riveting machine comprises a pair ofvertically spaced cooperative jaw members 3. and a respectively whichare connected to each other and to the lower end portions of thevertically disposed yoke 5 straddle arms of a yoke 5 by a hori- The armsof the the connected together portions of the jaws 3 and 4 and the webportion of the yoke is integral with the bottom or lower end of avertically disposed power cylinder 6. v The cylinder 6 is adapted forthe rec procation therein of a plunger, not

shown, and a plunger rod 7 extends from the upper end of the cylinderabove the level of the latter. Admittance of a pressure fluid, such ascompressed air, into the upper part of the cvlinder 6't0 cause downwardmovement of the plunger in the cylinder and therefore downward axialmovementof the plunger rod 7 is controlled by means of an ordinary valveattached to the cylinder, such as that shown more or lessdiagrammatically and indicated at 8, the valve being of any suitableknown type of construction and being adapted in for connection anysuitable known manner with a source of pressure fluid supply, not shown.The jaws 3 and A respectively have vertical extensions indicated at 3and 45* which extend in horizontally spaced relation and at oppositesides of the cylinder 6 above the level of the latter.

The extensions 3 and a terminate at their prises a pair of identicalbars 9 having their outer ends connected by horizontal pivot elements tothe upper ends of the extensions 3 and 4t and having their inner endsconnected to each other andto the upper end of the plunger element. I

rod' 7by a horizontal pivot The cylinder 6 is provided at its juncturewith the arms of the yoke with a pair of diametrically oppositelaterally extending trunnions as indicated at 10 which are journaled inopenings in the end portions of the arms of a bail 11. The bail 11extends through vertically elongated loop 12 which is integral at itsupper end with a vertical attaching rod 13. The latter extends looselythrough an opening in a cross head 14 and is upset at its upper end asin dieated at 15 to prevent displacement of the cross head from the red.A lJ-shaped suspension member 16 has the bight portion thereof disposedabove the cross head and has the arms thereof extended through openingsin the cross head in straddling relation to the rod 13. A coil spring 17surrounds the arms of the suspension member 16 below the cross head 1%and is held against displacement from the arms of the suspension member16 which are disposed below the cross head by the engagement of thelower end of the coil spring 17 of the outturned end portions 18 of thearms of the suspension member 16.

The bight portion of the member 16 is engaged with a hook 19 which maybe carried at the lower end of the hoisting cable of any suitablehoisting device or other suspension device not shown, whereby, thespring 17 will be compressed between the head 14 and the lower ends ofthe arms of the member 16 and the riveting machine will be swinginglyand resiliently supported. The toggle joint connection between the upperends of the extensions 3 and l of the jaw members of the rivetingmachine is such that the toggle arms 9 will be substantially horizontalwhen the plunger rod 7 is at the end of its stroke downward. Thedownward axial movement of the plunger rod of course is caused, by thedownward movement of the plunger in the cylinder 6 which is of fected bythe action of a suitable pressure fluid thereupon, the pressure fluidwhich ordinarily compressed air being admitted through the valve 8 tothe upper part of the cylinder 6 when desired. The toggle arms 9 will beupwardly inclined toward their inner ends when the plunger rod 7 is inraised position.

It. will be understood that the movement of the jaws 3 and l of theriveting machine toward each other in order that the rive-ting machinemay perform the function for which it is intended is caused by thedownward movement of the plunger rod 7 and the consequent movement ofthe bars 9 which causes spreading of the extensions 3 and 45.

In riveting together the component parts of the girder 1, the rivetingmachineis moved longitudinally of the girder. The riveting machine mustbe lifted over each obstruction, such as the cross member Prior to myinvention, it has been necessary for the operator of the rivetingmachineto lift the riveting machine manually over obstructions such as thecross member 2 and since the riveting machine is of relatively greatweight, the task of lifting the riveting machine over numerousobstructions such as the cross member 2 causes considerable fatigue tothe operator of the riveting machine and tends to delay completion ofthe work of riveting together the parts of the girder. If the weight ofthe riveting machine were too great to permit of its being lifted by theoperator over the obstructions, it has been necessary prior to myinvention to operate a hoisting device from which the riveting machinewas suspended or to make use of an auxiliary hoisting device to lift theriveting machine over each obstruction to the horizontal movement of theriveting machine along one side of the girde Considerable time, laborand power thus were consumed in lifting the riveting machine over thecross members and like obstructions.

In carrying out my invention, I replace the usual horizontalpivotelement which connects the outer end of the toggle arms 9 to theupper ends of the extensions 3 and 4: by similar horizontal pivotelements indicated at 20 which differ from the pivot elenzents whichthey replace only in that they are of greater length than the usualpivot elements. The horizontal pivot element which connects the innerend portions of the toggle arms 9 to one another and to the upper end ofthe plunger rod 7 also is replaced. by a relatively long horizontalpivot element as indicated at 21. lVith this arrangement, the pivotelements 20 and 21 have the end portions thereof protruding beyond thelateral faces of the toggle arms 9 and auxiliary toggle arms 22 aresupported pivotally on the end portions of the pivot elements 10 21,there being an auxiliary toggle arm 22 for each toggle arm Each of theauxiliary toggle arms 22 is provided at its inner end with an upwardlyinclined elongated extension 23 which is merged at its lower end intothe inner end portion of the auxiliary toggle arm 22 at an angle greaterthan a right angle. Each extension 23 is turned downwardly at its upperend at 2st, thus producing a hook. Vertical eye bolts 25 having the eyesthereof disposed downward extend through openings in the end portions ofthe cross head 1% and are secured to the latter by any suitable means,such as the nuts 26, the shanks of the eye bolt projecting above thecross head as indicated at 27. Suspension members such as the chains 28are engaged attheir upper cm s wi-th the eyes of the eye bolts lVhendesired, the lower end portions of the chains 28 may be engaged with thehooked outer ends of the extensions 23 to the auxiliary toggle arms 22.

From the foregoing description of the various parts of the device, theoperation thereof may be readily understood. During the use of theriveting machine in the usual manner as a means for securing rivets inplace in the girder, the suspension members 28 are detached from theextensions 23 and are supported above the latter. and out of the way inany suitable manner, as by having the normally lower ends thereof hookedover the upstanding ends 27' of the eyebolt shanks. However, whenthe'riveting machine must be elevated above the normal level to clear anobstruction such as the cross member 2, the suspension members 28 areengaged adjacent to their lower ends with the hooked outer ends of theextensions 23 to the auxiliary toggle arms. This is done while theplunger rod 7 is in raised position. Pressure fluid then is admitted tothe upper part of the cylinder 6 in the usual manner and the downwardmovement of the plunger rod and the consequent downward swingingmovement of the outer ends of the extensions 23 will cause the rivetingmachine to be lifted upward from the position illustrated in Figure 1 tothe position illustrated in Figure 2, the auxiliary toggle arms 22 andthe extensions 23 thereto constituting levers which are fulcrumedintermediate their length and which connect the upper ends of theextensions 3 and 4; of the jaw members to the suspension elements 28.The arrangement is such that the movement of the plunger rod 7 from itsraised to its lowered position will be suflicient to cause bodilymovement of the riveting machine upward from its normal level a distancesufiicient to clear obstructions such as the cross member 2 when thesuspension members 28 are attached to the hooked outer ends of theextensions 23 to the auxiliary toggle arms. After theriveting machinehas been moved bodily above the obstruction to a desired position, thepressure fluid within the upper part of the cylinder 6 is permitted toescape in the usual manner and the weight of the arms 3 and 4 will causeupward movement of the plunger rod and consequently the riveting machinewill be lowered to normal position and the suspension element 28 thenmay be detached from the hooked ends of the extensions 23 and againsecured in out of the way positions, as illustrated in Figure 1.

It of course will be understood that the usual toggle arms 9 may bereplaced by the so-called auxiliary toggle arms 22 or the extensions 23may be formed as separate members and secured to the usual toggle, arms9 at the inner ends of the latter in any suitable known manner. Also itwill be manifest that a lifting action on the rivet ing machine willtakeplace when the suspension members 28 are secured directly to theinner ends'of the toggle arms which connect the plunger rod to theextensions 3 and 4 coincidentally with the downward movement of theplunger rod.

Obviously, my invention is susceptible, of embodiment in forms otherthan that illustratedfin the accompanying drawing and I thereforeconsider as my own all such modifications and adaptations of the form ofthe device herein described as fairly fall within the scope of theappended claims.

I claim 1. In combination, a vertically movable machine comprising apair of elongated body members, a horizontal pivot element connectingsaid elongated members so that said members terminate at their upperends above the level of the pivot element, a vertically'reciprocablemember disposed between the upper end portions of saidelongated body members, a flexible suspension device having connectionwith said pivot element, toggle arms pivotally connected at their innerends to said vertically reciprocable member and pivotally connected attheir outer ends to the upper ends of said body members, and means forconnecting said vertically reciprocable member to said suspension deviceat a point on the latter above the level of the upper ends of said bodymembers.

2. Iii-combination, a vertically movable machine comprising a pair ofelongated body members, a horizontal pivot element connecting saidelongated members so that said members terminate at their upper endsabove the level of the pivot element, a vertically reciprocable memberdisposed be tween the upper end portions of said elongated body members,a flexible suspension device having'connection with said pivot element,toggle arms pivotally connected at their inner ends to said verticallyrccipro cable member and pivotally connected at their outer ends to theupper ends of said body members, upwardly inclined extensions to theinner ends of said toggle arms, said extensions having hook portions atthe upper ends thereof and terminating at their upper ends above thelevel of the upper ends of said body members, and means connected withthe suspension device at a level above that of the. upper ends of saidbody members and engageable with the hooked ends of said extensions tosaid toggle arms.

3. In combination, a vertically movable machine comprising a pair ofelongated body members, a horizontal pivot element connecting saidelongated members so that said members terminate at their upper endsabove the level of the pivot element, a vertically .reciprocable memberdisposed between the upper end portions of said elongated body members,a flexible suspension device having connection with said pivot element,toggle arms pivotally connected at their inner ends to said verticallyreciprocable member and pivotally connected at their outer ends to theupper ends of said body members, upwardly inclined extensions to theinner ends of said toggle arms, said extensions having hook portions atthe upper ends thereof and terminating at their upper ends above thelevel of the upper ends of said body members, said suspension devicehaving stops both above and below said cross head, and a spring arrangedbetween said cross head and the lower of said stops and urging saidcross head against the upper of said stops, and flexible connectingmembers pendant from the ends of said cross head and engageable at willwith the hooked ends of said extensions to said toggle arms.

4. In combination, a flexible suspension device, an elongated bodysupported on said suspension device to swing about a hori- Zontal axis,a vertically reciprocating member disposed above the axis of swingingmovement of the body, a lever fulcrumed on said vertically reciprocatingmember and pivotally connected at one end to said body, said lever beinginclined from its said one end toward its connection with the verticallv reciprocating member when the 'latter is at the end of its strokeupward, and means for connecting the second end of said lever to saidsuspension device at a point on the latter above the level of the upperendof said lever.

DAVID KENNEDY.

